Józef Elsner

Joseph Anton Franz Elsner (also Xaver Joseph Elsner, Joseph Elsner, Polish Józef Elsner Ksawery; born June 1, 1769 in Grottkau, Principality Neisse; . † April 18, 1854 in Elsnerowo b Warsaw ) was a German composer, conductor and music educator who through his decades of work in Warsaw was a pioneer of Polish music.

Life

Joseph Elsner was born into a musical family. His father Franz Xaver Elsner was a carpenter and music instrument maker in Grottkau, mother Anna Barbara was the daughter of Glatzer lute and violin maker Joseph Matzke. Although the family was German, Elsner himself felt his later adopted home of Warsaw appreciate described himself, however, continue as Silesians.

After a brief study of medicine in Breslau Elsner studied music in Vienna from 1789. In 1791 he took a job as a violinist in Brno. Within a year he became Kapellmeister to German opera in Lviv. There he composed successful musical comedies and gained great reputation with the establishment of a music academy. For the refugees from Warsaw theater director Wojciech Bogusławski he composed the musical comedies Lanufa - Iskahar and Sidney and Zuma. On the advice Boguslawski, who returned to Warsaw in 1799, Elsner also went there. In Warsaw, he initially worked as a conductor and later as a theater director, where he among other things aufführte operas by Mozart and Weber and wrote libretti in the local language. In 1805 he founded with ETA Hoffmann, whom he had met in Posen, the music resource, the Poles and German belonged. In addition, he earned contributions to the establishment of a music engraving institution. The ministerial order he founded a school for music and singing, was a Director from 1816 to 1830. Already in 1820 he had to leave the theater, after he had been attacked, he preferred the German forces.

Elsner's work as a composer is very extensive. He was the first composer of Poland, who wrote operas in the local language, which he took substances and national motifs from the history of Poland. He composed the operas Leszek Bialy ( King Leszek the White ) and Król Łokietek ( King Ladislaus the Elbow-high ), several symphonies, fairs, Polonaises, the oratory Meka Pana Naszego Jezusa Chrystusa ( Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ ), etc. His orchestral and chamber music compositions were enthusiastically received in Vienna and other European musical centers.

Unvergänglich known Elsner became a teacher of Frédéric Chopin, he paved the way for the artist's career. He was also a teacher and role model for the Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko, who composed the Polish National Opera Halka and Elsner, referred to as " the founder of the national music."

Works

  • 32 operas
  • 8 symphonies
  • Polonaise with orchestra
  • 1 Septet
  • 1 String Quintet
  • 11 string quartets
  • Two piano quartets
  • Piano sonatas
  • 1 Passion oratorio
  • Measuring
  • Requiem
Leszek I the White Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie Neue Deutsche Biographie Integrated Authority File
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